Sew Gifting

I generally like the idea of sewing gifts for others because but because of things like work and kids wanting to eat dinner 7 nights a week, I don’t always get to fulfill my good intentions. So, I was glad when Ti told us her idea for this blog tour.

My daughter’s recent obsessions include the hour-long Barbie movies on Netflix (aka parent torture) and youtube cat video (Maru is the funniest!). She likes to meow on the way home from school every day. So, these gifts were a total no brainer.

I made her two items:

The Olivia Topfrom Rebecca Page. My daughter has been asking for nightgowns. The Olivia to the rescue! I extended the hem to make it more of a dress length and added a ruffle at the bottom for a little extra flair to suit my Barbie loving babe. I’ve had this Barbie fabric since a local Walmart closed a few years back and were selling it for $1/yd. The Olivia is such a fast sew and terrific for all sewing abilities. The instructions even walk you through french seams too so the finish on the inside is as beautiful as on the outside. Check out Rebecca Page PDF Pattern Group on Facebook.

The Little Friends Cat Bag from Below The Kōwhai. When Below the Kowahai released this free pattern, I squealed. This is just what I would have loved carrying as a girl. My little miss adores having a place to store her treasures. I told her earlier this month that we’d be going to Target. She excitedly ran and got a purse. I had never boxed corners before but did so easily with the great photos in the tutorial. I’ve also really been loving embroidery recently. There was a whole section in the pattern that explained the stitches used so even an absolute beginner could tackle them. Check out Below the Kōwhai VIP Community on Facebook.

If you’re looking to beef up on hand embroidery, check out Craftsy. Last winter, I started working through the class Startup Library: Hand Embroiderywith Kat McTee. I’ve been playing with embroidery on and off for ages but this foundation course really armed me with the confidence to try more.

While these gifts together are a lot of pink for my own taste, she was absolutely delighted. Her joy at receiving these gifts fill my mom heart. As I adjusted the elastic in the Olivia to her preference, she walked up and down the shelves of fabric, touching and describing and talking to me about each one she liked. I hope her interest in fabric and beautiful garments continues over the years so I can share my beloved hobby with her even more. That would definitely be a gift me for me.

Don’t forget to check out my other sewing blogger friends on the tour: